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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

A man stands behind a counter that displays phone cards in a small shop. A woman sits in front of the counter typing on a laptop.

Dapatkah layanan keuangan digital dan e-commerce membantu mengurangi dampak krisis COVID-19 pada kehidupan masyarakat?

Di bulan April, pemerintah mengumumkan pemberlakuan Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar (PSBB) dan melarang perjalanan mudik Idul Fitri, dimana puluhan juta orang Indonesia biasanya kembali ke kota/desa asal mereka untuk merayakan bersama keluarga. Pembatasan-pembatasan lainnya juga berupa instruksi...
A man stands behind a counter that displays phone cards in a small shop. A woman sits in front of the counter typing on a laptop.

How digital financial services and e-commerce can help curb the impact of COVID-19 on people's livelihoods

For those in Indonesia with access to mobile phones and digital literacy, e-commerce and digital financial services may help people to maintain their livelihoods. Not only do digital financial services offer a fast and contactless means of payment and transfer, but evidence from around the world has...
A flooded street

An agenda for climate change research in North America

As part of a blog series on J-PAL’s work related to climate change, this post highlights J-PAL North America’s contributions to the evidence base in environment, energy, and climate change to date and articulates our agenda for catalyzing more policy-relevant research.
A person is standing at the side of the road behind a cart of fruit, while a cloud of smog obscures the background.

Toward evidence-informed climate policy: A reflection on Earth Day 2020

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This Earth Day, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the connections between our health and well-being and that of the planet are more present than ever. COVID-19 and climate change share the dubious distinction of taking the greatest toll on the world’s most vulnerable.
Two hands old a card between them.

Moving towards targeted anti-poverty programs: lessons from Indonesia

For the past decade in Indonesia, J-PAL affiliated researchers, together with government agencies and J-PAL Southeast Asia, have been working to generate policy-relevant evidence using randomized evaluations to understand the causal impact of anti-poverty programs. This blog summarizes what we have...
A poster in Indonesia with health recommendations

Cushioning the poor from the COVID-19 shock

In an op-ed for Project Syndicate, Rema Hanna and Ben Olken explain that expanding social protection to reach the most vulnerable people must be a pillar of every country’s COVID-19 strategy.
A man sits at a desk, looking at laptop screen while writing notes

10 tips for learner success in online courses

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To help ease the transition to online learning, Quetzali Ramírez, a top-performing MicroMasters learner and teaching assistant (TA), and I compiled ten tips gathered from our collective experience as online learners and supporters of others’ online learning experiences.
Image of a PSA stating: Stay home, limit travel, save lives

Increasing adherence to COVID-19 guidelines: Lessons from existing evidence

J-PAL health sector co-chairs and staff discuss some lessons from the evidence for increasing adherence to Covid-19 guidelines